No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Chapter 853
"The Collins family wants me back," Ernest said, and I understood immediately, though I kept quiet.
Ernest had run into trouble twice, and both times the Collins family remained silent. I had no idea why.
"What are you thinking?" I asked, then chuckled. "You don't want to go back, do you? But you feel like you have to."
Seeing me talking but not eating, Ernest nudged a plate of my favorite food closer to me. "You should eat."
"Okay, but you talk," I replied, taking a bite.
"There's no 'have to' about it. No one can force me if I don't want to," Ernest said, his voice steady.
"Are you worried about me?" I guessed aloud, and his silence confirmed it. I thought for a moment. "You're not planning to go
back and continue that arranged marriage with Yolande, are you?"
"The Collins heir must marry into the Clark family. It's an agreement between the families," Ernest said, his voice tinged with
resignation.

So, he doesn't want to be the Collins heir. But he clearly does want it.
I hummed to myself, but kept a smile on my face. "Well, then, go ahead with the marriage. Ms. Clark and you are quite the
harmonious pair."
"What did you say?" Ernest frowned at me, not in the mood for jokes.
"I said..."
"Think before you speak," Ernest interrupted, a cold edge to his voice.
Seeing him genuinely angry, I pouted. "You want to go back to the Collins family, but that means marrying. Shouldn't I support
you? Why are you angry with me? I'm such a generous woman."
Suddenly, I felt a wave of frustration and dropped my fork, refusing to eat.
Ernest didn't try to comfort me. Instead, he asked, "Do you really mean that?"

"Absolutely, I'll even send you a big wedding gift," I said, tears welling up despite myself.
I turned my head away. "Go find your Yolande. Don't bother me."
Women's emotions can be like a switch. It's not that I was being unreasonable-l recognized that Ernest was testing me.
But what's there to test? If I didn't care about him, would I be carrying his child?

And he always confided in Yolande. When he faked his death, he told her but kept
it from me. I haven't even confronted him about that, and now he pulls this.
I felt a weight on my shoulder as Ernest turned me to face him, but I resisted.
He sat beside me. "Don't be mad. It's my fault..."
"Just go. I don't want to talk to you," I snapped, shrugging him off.
"Licia, I wasn't testing you or teasing. I'm being honest. I'm not going back to the
Collins family," Ernest's voice was low and sincere.
I could tell he had made up his mind, but there was something else.
He explained, "But if I don't go back, the Collins family won't be happy. They might even try to suppress me. My father cut ties
with them because he refused the arranged marriage, and it made life hard for us. Eventually, it cost him his life."
He'd never told me this before.
I realized he feared history might repeat itself.
"Licia, it doesn't matter about me. just don't want you to go through anything like that," Ernest said, holding me gently. "Since
being with me, I haven't given you any peace."
He hadn't given me peace?
On the contrary, I had dragged him into the chaos.

I swallowed my frustration and looked at him, "Ernest, as long as you're by my side, I'm not afraid of anything. Besides, I know
you're not someone they can control